Machine for felting pulp.



No. 796,583. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905. P. E. KEYES; MACHINE FOR FELTINGPULP.

APPLIOATION FILED 113.10. 1904.

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ESSES PATENTED AUG. a, 1905.

E. E. KEYES.

MACHINE EOE EELTING PELE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10. 1904.

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I /V VEN T OR I A Harney No. 796,583. v PATBNTED AUG. 8, 1905. F. E.KEYES MACHINE FOR FEL'IING PULP.

APPLICATIoN Hmm 12113.10. 1904.

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FRANK EUGENE KEYES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR FELTING PULP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed February IO, 1904. Serial No. 192,949.

To all o7/1,0111, it may concern:

Be it known that I, 'FRANK EUGENE KEYES, of New York city, in the countyof New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Felting Pulp; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in machines for felting pulp, andis especially adapted for use in connection with and is an improvementon the machine patented by me February ll, 1902, No. 692,862. In thatpatent I show and describe a perforated or reticulated mold orpulp-cylinder divided internall y into radial compartments and revolvingin a vat containing the pulp, the' said cylinder being so constructedand arranged that a layer of the pulp 'is caused to adhere to theperiphery of the mold or pulp-cylinder as the latter revolves, .thesuperfluous moisture being removed from the said layer of pulp bymaintaining the radial compartments of the mold or pulp cylinder as theyleave the pulpvat and approach the couch in a vacuous condition, thusextracting the moisture from the fiber before the latter leaves the moldor pulproll. The layer of pulp thus deposited on the mold orpulp-cylinder is removed from the latter by the couch-roll and depositedupon the winding-roll until the required thickness has been obtained,after which the material that has been wound on the winding-roll isremoved by severing it, thus leaving it free to be stripped from thewinding-roll. With such an apparatus the product is a sheet or boardhaving a surface area approximately the surface area of thewinding-roll.

My present invention consists, tirst, in the introduction between thecouch and the main winding-roll of a removable collapsible winding-rolldesigned for forming tubes or tubes from which barrels, buckets, kegs,or similar articles may be formed, and, second, in providing` the moldand couch-rolls with suctionopenings at their ends, the said openingsbeing of greater area than the closed sections of the ends.

I/Vith these ends in View my invention consists in the parts andcombinations of parts and in the details of construction, as will bemore fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a View in plan, partly insection, of my improved apparatus, the mold being removed. Fig. 2 is aview in vertical section on the line ci a of Fig. l, the mold andcouch-rolls being removed. Fig. 3 is a view in section on line of Fig. lthrough the vat and showing' the mold, couch and winding rolls in endelevation, and also showing the near track and the frame supporting thesame. Fig. 4 is a view in end and also in side elevation of one of theend plates for the mold and couch-rolls. Fig. 5

is a view showing the winding-roll and its bearing-block and track, theblock and track being in section. Fig'. 6 is a view in side elevation,and Fig. 6*L is a view in plan, of same. Fig. 7 is a view of thewinding-roller complete, showing the details in dotted lines. Fig. 8 isa view in vertical longitudinal section of one end of the winding-roll.Fig. 9 is `a view in transverse section of said roll, and Fig. l() is asectional view of the gearing for elevating and lowering thewinding-roll.

1 represents a pair of standards or uprights formed with suitablevertical guideways 2, in which the bearings 3 of the winding-roll 4 areadapted to be raised or lowered to accommodate rolls of various sizes.The bearings 3 are each provided with ascrew-threaded opening or borefor the passage of a screw 5, which latter is mounted in suitablebearings in the uprights or standards I. Each screw is provided on itsupper end above its upright or standard l with a pinion 6, which latteris engaged by the pinion 7 on the slightly-inclined shaft A6, journaledin bearings on the rear side of the apparatus. Each shaft 8 is providedon its lower end with a bevel-pinion 9, which meshes with a bevelpinionl() on the horizontal shaft 11. This shaft 1l extends. lengthwise theapparatus and carries both bevel-pinions 10. Power is applied to shaft1l by belt-pulley l2, secured on stub-shaft l2. This stub-shaft ismounted in a suitable bearing carried by the frame of the apparatus andhas keyed thereto the Abevel-pinion l2, which meshes with pinion 12,mounted on a pin carried by the frame of the apparatus.v This pinion 12cmeshes with pinion l2(1 loose on shaft 11, and between pinions l2b and12d is located the sliding clutch 12e, keyed to shaft 1l, and isdesigned to engage clutch-teeth on said pinions 121 and 12d. When theclutch is out of engagement with pinion l2, the latter simply rotateswithout imparting any movement to its shaft 11. When the clutch is movedinto engagement with pinion 12d, thus locking the latter to shaft 11,rotary movement in one direction will be imparted to said shaft throughthe pnions 12b, 12, and 12d, and when the clutch is shifted Vto theother extreme the shaft 11 will be rotated in the opposite direction bythe engagement of the clutch (which, as before stated, is keyed to shaft11) with pinion 12b. By this arrangement shaft 11 can be rotated ineither direction to raise or lower the winding-roll or can bedisconnected, so as to remain stationary.

After the proper thickness of liber has been deposited on thewinding-roll the latter can be elevated above the couch-roll and thesheet or board severed and unwound. After the sheet or board has beenremoved from the winding-roll by reversing the direction of motion ofthe screws 5 the winding-roll can be lowered onto the couch-roll in aposition to take the adhering lilm of liber therefrom.

The bearings 3 are each provided with an open slot 15, in which thetrunnions 14 of the winding-roll rest and in which they move. Thewinding-roll rests with a yielding pressure on the couch-roll. Hence asthe liber is deposited on the winding-roll the latter is graduallyelevated until the desired thickness of board has been obtained. Thepressure on the winding-roll is regulated by the levers 16, which latterare pivoted at 17 to the arms 18. The arms 18 are integral with theirrespective bearings 3, and each lever 16 bears on a trunnion 14 of thewindingeroll 1. The longer members of the arms 16 carry at their endsthe rods 19, on which removable weights may be placed for increasing thepressure. The fiber is d elivered to the winding-roll from thecouch-roll 21, the latter being' mounted in the frame with its peripheryin contact with the periphery of the pulp mold or cylinder. Thiscouchroll 21 is hollow, with a perforated or reticulated periphery, andis connected to the shaft 22 by a coupling interposed at the point 23,so as to permit the roll to be removed and recovered or repaired, asnecessity demands. The shaft 22 is provided with a gear 22, meshing withdriving-gear 22, which latter is fixed on the shaft 22d, carrying thebelt-pulley 228. rlhe couch-roll is provided with the toothed gear 24,which meshes with a similar gear 111 on pulp-mold 25, thus causing thecouch and mold to rotate in unison. This mold or cylinder 25 is providedcentrally with a hollow core 26, which is of double-conical shape inlongitudinal section-that is to say, is in the shape of two hollow conesplaced base to base-the portion outside of said centra-l conical sectionbeing divided into compartments 27 by a series of radial partitions 28,which terminate in contact with the inner face of the perforated orreticulated periphery of the mold. The central part lof the internaldouble cone is provided with a peripheral rib 29 for supporting thereticulated circumferential covering of the 'mold or cylinder 25, therib having openings therein for the free passage of air from one end ofthe cylinder to the other.

v The vat 31 is provided with a supply-pipe for the pulp and with anoverliow-pipe for the escape of the surplus pulp. The overow-pipe 32maintains the pulp in the vat at a uniform level, and, if desired, thesaid pipe may be screwed into its seat, so as to render it adjustablewith respect to its height, so that the level at which the overflowoccurs may be varied.

The pulp mold or cylinder 25 is open at its two ends, and the latter areoverlapped by flexible bands or rings 45, which latter are carried bythe ends of the vat and are designed to seal the joint between the endsof the vat and the revolving mold or cylinder and prevent the ingressthrough the ends of the mold of pulp or air into the compartments of themold or cylinder.

Located at the two ends of the mold and within the vat are the plates20. These plates each have a hub to receive the shaft of the mold, andeach is held against rotation on the mold-shaft by a pin secured to itsplate and resting between the brackets 20, secured to a stationary partof the vat or frame. By changing the position of the brackets it will bereadily seen that the position ofthe plates can be changed with relationto the ends of the compartments. These plates rest up close to the endsof the partitions in the mold and cover and close that portion of themold from a point just in the rear of the point where the pulp isremoved from the mold by the couch to a point below the pulp-level inthe vat, or less than one-halfl of the open ends of the molds, thusleaving the greater area of the ends exposed to the suction. In otherwords, the compartments in the mold that are not covered with the pulp,but which, on the contrary, have deposited their pulp on the couch andare returning to the vat, are covered by the end plates, so as toprevent any suction through them, as no suction is needed there, whilethose compartments which are on the upward move toward the couch areexposed at their ends to the suction. The open compartments in the moldor those not covered by plates 2O are in direct lcommunication with thesuction-chamber 33,

which latter is connected at 86 with the pipe of an exhaust-fan, whichoperates to maintain a partial vacuum or constant suction within thosecompartments of the mold not covered by plates 20, and thus cause notonly the iibers to be drawn onto the mold and adhere thereto and thefelting together of the fibers of the several sheets, but extracts thewater from the adhering plates.

The couch 21 is identical in structure with the mold, except that it isof less diameter and its longitudinal partitions, which divider the rollinto longitudinal compartments, are straight at their outer ends insteadof curved, as in the mold. The couch is also provided at each end with aplate 20", similar in all respects to the plates 2O at the ends of themold, which cover the compartments that have deposited their pulp on thewinding-roll down to thel points where they take pulp from the mold,thus cutting out from the suction those compartments of the couch notcovered with pulp. The compartments of the couch not covered by plates20h are in communication with suction-flues 38, also leading to the pipeof the suction-fan, the lues into which the mold and couch dischargetheir air being each provided with a damper by which the suction orexhaust can be regulated and controlled.

The suction at the ends of the molds necessarily draws in air throughthe pulp, and the water from the pulp and the air and water thus drawninto the compartments in the mold are discharged at the ends of thelatter into the suction-chamber 83, the water being separated from theair, if deemed essential, before reaching the pump or exhaust-fan.

The shaft of the pulp mold or cylinder is carried in bearing-boxes 41,and the boxes 41 are pivotally supported in the yokes 42, carried by thelevers 43. These levers are pivoted to the vat or tub and each isprovided with adjusting mechanism 44, by which the mold or cylinder canbe moved toward or away from the couch-roll. As the air or exhaustchambers or boxes are carried on the shaft of the mold or cylinder, itfollows that when the latter is moved or adjusted the air boxes orchambers move therewith. The pulp mold or cylinder receives its motionfrom the couch-roll through the pinions 24 and 44, the depth of theteeth of said pinions being such that these parts will not becomedisengaged by any variations in the 'position of the mold or cylinderrelatively to the couchroller.

The parts thus far described are designed for making sheets or boards.For making tubes I elevate the winding-roll previously described andinterpose a collapsible roller 45. This roll 45 is mounted at its endsin the sliding blocks 46, which latter are mounted on the parallelhorizontal rails 47, the boxes being grooved to receive the heads of therails.

hese rails project from both sides of the machine and each is providedwith a spring-tooth 48, designed to enter a recess in sliding block 46and yieldingly hold the latter against a sliding movement.

Mounted in brackets projecting' from the frame of the apparatus is theshaft 47, provided near its ends with the wheels 48u. Secured to eachwheel is a chain or wire rope 49, the rear ends of which are designed tobe detachably secured to the front ends of the blocks 46, so that whenthe wheels are turned l l 1 l in the proper direction, byhand-powerblotherwise, the blocks carrying' the collapsible roll will bepulled forward toward the front ends of the tracks. In the operation ofthe device while one collapsible roller is receiving its coating of pulpl detachably connect another pair of blocks 46 to the rear of the blockscarrying the roll being covered, so that when the roll in operation hasbeen covered the act of withdrawing it brings another roll into place,thus making the operation of the machine practically continuous. Thenone roll has been covered to the desired thickness, it is withdrawn fromtherails and is then detached from the blocks in the rear and also fromthe chains. The free ends of the chains are then connected up to thefront end of the blocks carrying the roll being covered and another setof blocks carrying an empty roll is mounted on the rails from the rearends of the latter and connected up to the rear of the blocks carryingthe roll being operated upon. By this construction and operation of therolls as one is withdrawn from an operative position another is drawninto position, so that the operation is continuous, no stoppage beingnecessary for the removal of the covered roll'or the introduction of anew roll.

The collapsible rolls rest in slots in the blocks and as they arecovered with the necessary layers'of pulp they gradually rise until therequired thickness has been deposited and they are held down in theirseats by the levers 50, each of which is provided with a dependingbearing 51, having curved or beveled ends with Vwhich the trunnions ofthe rolls engage as they are drawn into and moved from their operativepositions. These levers 5() are pivoted to the frame at 52 and each isprovided at its outer end with a weight 53, which latter holds its leveragainst the trunnions and the periphery of the roll in a position totake the film of pulp from the couch.

The roll45is, as before explained, designed for making pipes or tubes orbarrels, buckets, or keg-bodies. Hence it must be so constructed as tobecollapsed within the tube,so as to permit the tube, pipe, or otherarticle to be stripped intact therefrom, and while this may beaccomplished in various ways l have shown a roll comprisinga series ofspiders 54, one located at each end and preferably two intermediate itsends. These spiders each comprise a hub, a series of arms, and a rim,the latter being' broken away a distance sufficient to permit of thecontraction ofthe sheet-metal covering 55. This covering 55 is in theform of a slitted cylinder and is secured to the rims of the spiderswith its free edge 56 terminating near one set of arms. This free edge56 is supported on a series of links 57, each of which is mounted on acam 58. The several cams are preferably located adjacent to the spidersand are secured on a shaft 59, running lengthwise the roll. This shaftis provided at one end with a square or angular head 60 for theattachment of a wrench, key, or other device by which the shaft and camsarev turned, thus drawing inwardly or collapsing that part of thesheetmetal covering not supported by the spiders. This collapsing of theroll detachesthe latter from the pulp-tube and permits the latter to bewithdrawn. I/Vith the machine as above described I am enabled to notonly make tubes, but by using' the large upper windingroll 4 can makesheets or boards, and by the use of the plates or heads covering thosecompartments of the mold and couch not covered by pulp I am enabled tosecure much greater suction than has ever before been attained, andhence produce a pulp containing much less moisture.

It is evident that changes in the construction and relative arrangementof the variousv parts might be made without avoiding my invention, andhence I would have it understood thatI do not restrict myself to theparticular construction and arrangement of parts shown and described;but, Y Y

Having fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for felting pulp, the combination with a vat, a moldrotating therein, a couch-roll, adjacent to the mold so as to take thefiber therefrom, a winding-roll and suction-chamber, the mold being'divided into a series of longitudinal compartments by partitions, of aplate so located as to cover one end of the compartmentsof the mold notcoated with the pulp or fiber, the other compartments communicating withthe suction-chamber.

2. In a machine for felting pulp, the combination of a vat. a rotatingmold therein, the latter being divided into a series of longitudinalcompartments by partitions, plates covering the ends of a series of saidcompartments not coated with pulp, and a suction-chamber incommunication with the other compartments.

3. In a machine for felting pulp, the combination of a vat, a rotatingmold adapted to take pulp from the vat, the said mold being divided intoa series of independent compartments by longitudinal partitions, platescovering the two ends of a series ofsaid compartments not covered withpulp, and suction-chambers in communication with the two ends of theremaining compartments.

4. In a machine for felting pulp, the combination of a vat, a rotatingmold adapted to take pulp from the Vat, the said mold being divided intoa series of compartments by longitudinal partitions, adjustable platescovering the two ends of a series of said compartments not covered withpulp, and suctionchambers in communication with the two ends of theremaining compartments.

5. In a machine for felting pulp, the combination with a vat, a mold anda couch-roll, of a horizontal trackway above the couch-roll and awinding-roll mounted on blocks or trucks carried by said track.

6. In a machine for felting pulp, the combination with a vat, a mold anda couch-roll, of horizontally -sliding bearings located above thecouch-roll and a winding-drum carried by said bearings.

7. In a machine for felting pulp, the combination with a vat, a mold anda couch-roll, of horizontal tracks above the couch-roll, slidingbearings removably mounted on said tracks, means for sliding thebearings and a windingroll carried by said bearings.

8. In a machine for felting pulp, the combination with a vat, a mold fortaking the pulp or liber therefrom, and a couch-roll, of a horizontaltrack above the couch -roll, sliding blocks on said track, awinding-roll carried by said blocks and weighted levers for holding thewinding-roll in position.

9. In a machine for felting pulp, the combination with a vat, a mold fortaking the pulp or fiber therefrom and a couch-roll, of horizontaltracks located above the couch-roll, sliding blocks mounted on saidtracks, a collapsible roll carried by said blocks and means for slidingthe blocks.

10. In a machine for felting pulp, the combination with a vat, a moldrotating therein, a couch-roll and a winding-roll, the couchroll beingdivided into a series of longitudinal compartments by partitions, of aplate so located as to cover the end of the compartments of the couchnot coated with the pulp, the other compartments communicating with asuction-chamber.

11. In a machine for felting pulp, the combination with a vat, a moldrotating therein, a couch-roll and a winding-roll, the couchroll beingdivided into a series of longitudinal compartments by partitions, ofplates covering both ends of the compartments of the mold not coatedwith pulp or fiber the other compartments communicating withsuctionchamber.

12. In a machine for felting pulp, the combination with a vat, a mold, acouch-roll and a winding-rolLthe couch and mold being divided into aseries of compartments by longitudinal partitions, of plates so locatedas to @over the ends of the compartments of the mold and couch notcoated with pulp, the other compartments communicating withsuctionchamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presencedoftwo subscribing witnesses.

FRANK EUGENE KEYES.

Witnesses:

GEO. F. DowNING, S. G. NOTTINGHAM.

